Vermont State Police arrested Rasulo late last month following a crash on Jan. 6 that involved his 2001 Nissan Maxima. A passing motorist found the car at the crash scene at 3:32 a.m. No one was in the vehicle, but police say they found Rasulo’s cell phone in the wreck, according to court records.

Rasulo reported the car stolen later in the day and also filed a claim with his insurance company. Police say using evidence obtained from the phone, they suspected that Rasulo was driving the car at the time of the crash.

When confronted with evidence, Rasulo allegedly told police he struck a patch of black ice, lost control and crashed. He told police he was in shock and scared after the crash and left the area.

Asked later why he lied about his vehicle being stolen, Rasulo told police “Because I thought my insurance company would pay for it.”